Heavy-tension lap-link chain



I l,`624,1 1 1 W`. J; MULLALLY HEAVY TENSION LAP LINK CHAIN Filed Sept. 24. 1923 2 Sheetg-Sheet 1 April 12, 1927.

April 12 1927.

W. J.MULLALLY HEAVY TENSION LAP LINK CHAIN Filed Sept. 24. 1923 2 sneetssneet a rammed Apjr. 12, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFiCE.

WALTER J. MULLALLY', 0F CHICAGO HEIGHTS. ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO AIEBICAN MANGANESE STEEL COMIANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OEMAINE.

HEAVY-TENSION LAP-Luiz CHAIN.

application sied september 24, 1923. lserial No. 664,636.

This invention relates to chains, the ymembersof which are articulated through meansclass in which the side members o the links I are formed in separate pieces.

In chains-of this kind, particularly when used for work imposing heavy longitudinal stresses upon' the chain, .there is a tendency of the members which compose the links to straighten out and distort their ends through which 'the Ipintles pass, and bite or bind the bearing eyes .of the linksupon the pintles, as well 'as interfere with the free action of the antifrictionyrollers when used at thejoints. l A The object of the present invention is to avoid the aforesaid diiculty, while still permitting the links to be built vup of se arately formed side members; and one ea'- ture of the `invention'-proceeds upon the princi le of so, constructing-the separately forme side members that when assembled, the will be in abutment at points which .will

' :am resist the deflection or'straightening outoiiv the link, and thus maintain their bearing eyes normal to the axis of the pintle, and their confining faces parallel to 'the sides of the other links or the antifriction -rollers mounted onthe pintles between theni.`

ment between the side members and the links,

is accomplished through means of a strut 4o extending between the side members adjabers 1 and 2 -to draw into'a straight diagonal cent to their points of deflection, said strut being provided by means of lugs formed on the respective side membersin position to abut together when the side members are .assembleu to orm the link..

Another feature of the invention proceeds upon the principle of providing abutments for the ends of the outer link-members at the pint'les of-articulation, so that they cannot .draw inward. upon the intermediate link- 1 members or antifriction rollers, and this is preferably' accomplished by introducing short sleeves within the intermediate ends and the rollers and around the pintles, and

having 'these sleeves terminate just short of the l'outer link members.

In the accompanying drawings which i show the aforesaid preferred embodiment by way. ofV illustration- Figure 1 is a plan view, and Figure 23:1

side elevation of a portion of a 'heavy tension lap link chain in which the invention is embodied. j

Figures 3 and 4 are, respectively, a plan iied construction of' link and method o f iissembling the same; and i' p Figure 5 is a detail view in section on the line 5"---5x of Figures 1 and-3.

1, 2 represent separatelvformed side members of the lap link chain, 3 represents a pintlc which passes through the lapped ends of said members in order to articulate the links' in building up the chain, ,4 representsv antifric- 4tion rollers journalled upon the pintles between the lapped ends of the members View and a side elevation showing a modi` which form the links, and 5 represents a spacing'sleeve interposed between the similarly constructed lines of a duplex chain in order to provide cross bars to receive the teeth of sprockets upon which the chain is guided and by which it may be driven in i1 manner well known in the art.

As thus far described, the parts may be of anyconstruction, assembly, and design,

in accordancev with known practice. Thev side members 1, 2 are suitably deflected, as, 'for instance, at points .1, 2n in order to var)r the spacing of the members at their ends and adapt them to lie alternately within and without the ends of adjacent links with whichv they lap andto which they are articula'ted. But under extreme longitudinal stress, there is a .tendency of the side memline from center to center of their pintles. and thereby throw the perforated ends of said members'out of normal relation to the pintles and to the antiriction rollers 4 lying mediately or immediately between them. In order` to overcome this objection and still permit the members 1, 2 to be constructed separate] which is a very desirable .condition o i roduction, especially when the chain is to e used for dredging purposes, to meet the requirements of which it is necessary to produce its members of cast manga nese steel, lugs 6 are formed upen the members 1, 2, preferably at the points l, 2 of delection of said members, and in positions to insure abutment of the lugs and development of a transverse strut between them, the pintles 3 being relied upon to prevent torsional displacement of the side members 1, 2 and thereby hold in alignment and vmaintain the integrity of the strut without any connection other than abutment between the lugs, and without the necessity of making the lugs large and bulky.

According to Figures 3 and 4, the side members 13X, 2ax of links, assembled similarly to links of Figures 1 and 2 through means ot pintles 3 having bearing sleeves 5, have struts 6* located adjacent their intermediate deflections but nearer the closely spaced ends 1b, 2b of said members, which latter are made substantially far as the strut forming lugs, beyond which they curve outwardly to develop the neces- Atot' the link, to vary their spacing Isary spacing of their ends 1c, 2c to receive the closely spacedv ends 1", link between them.

As shown by dotted lines in Figures 1 to 4, and in section in Figure 5, the spread ends l 2c of all the links may be spaced apart by means of sleeves 9 surrounding the pintles 3, and thereby. prevented from drawing together and crowding upon the lapped ends lb and 2b of the members of the adjacent link whichlie between them,for upon the antifriction roller 4 which inthis instance revolves upon the sleeves 9 instead of directly upon the pintles 3, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. This feature of spacing the outermost of 2" of the next .the lapped ends by means of sleeves passing through the intermediate lappedends and through the antifrictionrollers is of further advantage in preventing distortion of those links in the chain which, in accordance with usual practice, are provided with elevating horns 10 for engaging rock and other obstructions to be excavated. That is to say, the sleeves 9 resist distortion of the spread ends 2c which carry these horns 10 under the action of a rock that tends to wedge between the horns.

Links constructed as herein described, may be successfully cast in manganese steel, and successfully heat treated, and. when su formed can be conveniently assembled to form the chain, and when properly assembled, constitute a very light and cheap construction serving well the purposes for which it is intended.

I claim:

1. In heavy tension 'lap link chains, links composed each of two separately formed side members, oppositely deflected, intermed'iately of their ends, in the plane at the respective ends `of the link and to permit saidstraight and parallel as- .abutting together to resist ends to lap alternately within and without the members of adjacent links; said side members being formed with'normally abutting but separable struts relatively movable in the direction of the length of the link extending across the links intermediate of their ends to resist straightening of the side members under longitudinal transmitting longitudinal stress from one s1de member of a link to the other side member thereof.

2. In. heavy tension lap link chains, links composed each ot' two separately formed side members, the side members of alink being each adapted to bear its load independently of the other and to move longitudinally one relatively to the other, and inwardly curving intermediatcly of their ends to vary their spacing at the respective ends ofthe link and permit said ends to lap alternately wit-hin and without the members of adjacent links; said side members being formed with normally abutting but separable struts extending across the links intermediate of their ends to resist straightening of the side members under longitudinal stress imposed upon the chain; said st-rutslbeing composed of lugs formed upon the respective side `members 1n position to abut together but leave themv relatively, movable lengthwise of the link in the assem ly of said members to form the link.

3. In heavy tension lap link chains, links composed each of two separately formed side members, deflected intermediately of their ends to vary the spacing at their respective ends, sleeves separately spacing said links at one end, and lugs on the respective side members. adjacent their intermediate deflections, straightening of the side members under longitudinal strains thereon, but relatively movable to avoid loading one side member by another.

4. In` chains, links comprising separately formed side members, deflected intermediately ot' their ends, constructed with eyes and overlapped with the side members of adjacent links for articulation, pintles passing through the eyes and the overlapping ends, some of the side members of the links being constructed with horns for engagement with material to be elevated, spacing sleeves surrounding the pintles and spacing the side members which carry said horns, and strut' forming lugs on the side members adjacent said horns, and by their abutment preventing straightening of the links and displacement of the horns; the lugs being free to slide one relativelyto the other in the direction of the length of the link.

Signed at Chicago Heights, Illinois, this 9th day of Sept., 1923.

WALTER J. MULLALLY.

stress, but without 

